Make You Listen
by kazumigirl
Summary: The sequel to, "Make You Speak" Seto has returned to Japan once again, and not only he is going to ask for Joey's hand in marriage, but he is also going to release the information of the "coclear implant". However, Tea doesn't like this idea...sign langua
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1: You're not Listening

Author's note: Can you believe I'm actually starting the sequel to, "Make You Speak"! Anywho, it may go a little slow, but continue to prod and poke me and I will continue writing it!

**Joey, c'mon! Slow down! Seto's plane will make it here on time whether you eat fast or not,** Tea signed as Joey crammed his face in the small diner.

The girl who had dyed her hair a rich purple and pierced a nose with a stud, sighed and took a long swig of rasberry tea before signing,** Be careful, Joey, you know Seto's likely to hurt you again.**

Joey looked up, his eyebrows cocked in confusion. He set down his eating utensils and signed, **What are you talking about?**

Tea stirred her straw around. She didn't know exactly how to put her concerns in words. Words Joey could see without hearing Tea's desperate tone. Seto didn't seem to realize Joey was deaf. Even though he signed, he didn't seem to understand the concept of sign languae being something much more than a tool for the hearing impaired. Personally, she found it selfish for Seto to long for Joey's voice when he had Joey at all.

He had talked to her a few times, informing her he was going to discuss coclear implants with Joey, and Tea didn't like the idea. In fact, she liked it so little that she failed to even mention it to Joey. She didn't want him to think his lack of hearing was a disability. She wanted him to think of it as a beautiful cultural experience.

**Tea? Tea? Anybody in there?** Joey waved his left hand in front of her and signed with his right.

When he had her attention, he signed, **Seto's never hurt me before**

Tea frowned and waved him away. Joey frowned as well, but instead of spoiling for a fight, he sighed and dropped the subject. He began asking her about her SL tutoring instead. She chatted happily about the children she signed to and the hearing children who wanted her to teach them as well. Joey nodded and smiled occasionally, but they both knew not all was well.

Seto waited in the airport lobby, trying not to look conspicuousl. Where on earth was Joey? Tea, over the phone, promised they'd be waiting for him. It had been twenty minutes and not a wink of either of them! He sighed and closed his book. A mother was kissing her morman husband goodbye. A small group of children in matching T-shirts ate ice cream cones. No blonde boy signing to a violet -haired girl.

"Seto," Tea called racing up, Joey trailing behind her, "Hiya! Did you miss us! Joey needed a restroom!"

She threw her arms around him and kissed him lavishly. One might have thought Tea was Seto's lover. He smiled awkwardly and looked at Joey. Joey smiled and shrugged.

**That's Tea for you,** he signed behind his friend's back.

Tea released him, then stood where Joey could see her flying hands as well.

**Wow! Can you believe Joey actually left the restaurant? I thought it would never happen!**

**Whatever**, Joey retorted**, you and your dessert decidings, Miss should I get cheesecake or cookie crumble?**

Tea rolled her eyes playfully and socked Joey in the arm. She then hugged him and signed,** I'll give you two some alone time, Peach Pot**

Joey smiled, kissed her briefly, and when she was gone, flew into Seto's arms. They hugged and Seto kissed him softly. Joey nuzzled his face into his boyfriend's neck. It had seemed like forever, and Joey felt he'd finally died and gone to heaven. However, in order to speak to him, he had to pull away.

**Have you missed me?** He asked, his eyes full of hope.

**Like I miss the chicken pox, no, I've dreamed of you every night**

**Tea's even missed you. She says I need a firm yet loving hand**

**Dumb dog, You mean loving yet firm hand**

**Whatever, anyway, let's go get something to eat! I'm starved!**

**I thought Tea said you just ate.**

**Yah,** Joey scoffed,** Like thirty minutes ago**

Seto smiled though he shook his head, took Joey's hand, and together they left the airport.

To Be Continued...

Please feel free to add questions on your reviews


	2. You're Watching

**Chapter 2: You're watching**

It was a beautiful day and the weather was perfect. Seto didn't mind one bit that Joey wanted to eat lunch in the park. Children were flying kites near by. An elderly couple was walking a dog and a younger couple were walking a baby in a stroller. Joey unwrapped their deli sandwiches and began to eat. Seto watched him from the corner of his eye. How on earth did you go about a proposal? Especially when you'd barely begun to experience love?

He cleared his throat, but Joey didn't even glance at him. Seto rolled his eyes and tapped his fingers in frustration. Why did he always forget Joey was deaf? No matter how much he signed, he could never quite grasp the fact that Joey could not hear him. For the time being anyway...

He tapped him on the shoulder and when Joey had his semi-full attention signed,** It's a beautiful day**

Joey nodded and shoved the remainder of his sandwich into his mouth so his hands could be free to communicate.

**It is pretty. It was raining all of last week. Tea even believed the world might flood. She's silly sometimes.**

Seto nodded. Not that he wasn't listening, but Tea was not what he particulary wanted to talk about. He wanted to talk about Joey and him. Their relationship. Their future. Their...their options on communication. He'd been studying a lot on the cochlear implant, a device that could give Joey his hearing back. Doctors told him Joey could regain at least a fraction of his hearing back.

**You know, I've heard about this thing called a,** Seto began to finger-spell,** c-o-c-h-l-e-a-r i-m-p-l-a-n-t. Have you ever heard of it?**

Joey waved his hand in a so-so manner. He often read about things like that on the internet, but he considered them miracles...and he didn't believe in miracles. Seto shifted his weight to one side so he could be even closer to Joey. So close the blonde could feel his breath. He shivered slightly at the feel of it.

**Joey, I think we should consider the possibilities of...**, he hesitated,** hearing. You know? The device is usually a success. I wanted to show you some brochures on it and-**

The blonde shook his head. He crinkled the empty trash and placed it beside them. He smiled brightly at Seto and took his hands in his, staring into his eyes. Next, he slowly set them on the ground and raised his own to sign. He signed slowly, trying to let his words sink into Seto's mind.

**I've been deaf for two years,** he signed staring dead into his boyfriend's crystal blue eyes,** and whether anybody believes it or not, I've changed. I really have, Seto. I've learned to listen with my eyes. I've grown attached to certain things that would have never interested me before. I've, I've...**

He drummed his fingers together against his crossed knees, trying to find the right words.

**Grown,** he finally signed,** and I'm not exactly who I used to be. Deafness didn't destroy me, Seto,**

He leaned his forehead against his, and their lips met briefly. When he pulled away, he signed, **it made me a better listener. A better idealist. A better person. I know that I can make it through almost anything.**

Seto became bitter. He didn't want Joey to want to be deaf. He wanted him to jump for joy and shout, "I'll be able to hear!"

**But can you talk? **He spat through hands.

"Dog, Boy, house, car, food,"Joey's speech was oddly quiet and slurred, but he did speak.

Seto crossed his arms. Maybe proposing wouldn't be such a good idea afterall. Maybe Joey wasn't such a good idea afterall. Joey nuzzled against him like a lovesick puppy and fondled Seto's hand in his own. It was odd to know that he might as well had given his heart to Joey. Afterall, in a way, Joey's hands were his heart. His mouth. His voice. Seto squeezed his hand lightly and brushed his fingers over Joey's.

**I love you,** Joey signed with his free hand.

**Ditto, **Seto signed back.

They laughed a little and then kissed. Long and hard, they kissed in broad daylight right under a shady oak tree in the park. Tongues tangled. Hands unable to sign. It was heaven to Seto. He decided it was time.

When they pulled away, breathing heavily, the CEO took Joey's hand and turned it over. Joey looked questioningly at him. His boyfriend retrieved something smal and shiny from his pocket and slipped it onto to Joey's third finger. He let go long enough to sign,** Will you marry me?**

It wasn't as romantic in sign language. In sign, he had to sign, "You want marry me?"

But he didn't care when he saw Joey's eyes light up and his fist pump up and down, the sign for "yes".

He kissed Seto, knocking him down in the process, and whispered in his ear, in his slightly unearthly tone, "I love you."

To Be Continued...

**To the readers:**

**BarbedWire23**: Thank you so much! I had to get off my lazy butt for once and do this!

**Bakuraluver4ever**: Yah, I really suck when it comes to description in a signing story. Anywho, what's wrong with Tea? If you don't like her now wait till you-oops! Can't give anything away! signs,** secret!**

Koalared: I'm so glad you're happy!

**MladyAngel**: Is this enough SetoxJoey for ya? Who are we kidding? You can never have enough!

**Reena**: Go back and read, "Make you Speak". Seto knows Joey's deaf. He just doesn't like to remember. The first story explains everything


	3. I'm Watching

**Chapter 3: I'm watching**

**He asked you to what?** Tea demanded as she held her hairbrush between her teeth so she could sign.

Joey, excited to tell anybody about Seto's proposal, found himself disapointed in his friend's reaction. Shouldn't she be happy for him? He expected her to jump up and down and hug him over and over. Instead she just stared. Her eyes wide with negative disbelief. Joey sighed and repeated himself, smiling. Maybe Tea had misunderstood him. However, she only grew more angry.

**You're too young to get married,** she signed in big threatning gestures,** how on earth could you have said yes! I know you're not stupid, Joey!**

Joey frowned and raised his hands to argue, but Tea wouldn't let him.

**No, let me finish,** she silently ordered, **this is stupid. Seto should no better than to ask you to marry him! He's not even that good of a signer!**

The blonde rolled his eyes. He'd had enough of this. If Tea wasn't going to be happy with him, then he didn't need her comments at all. He grabbed her hands, but she shook him off. He waited for her to say something else. Something mean and nasty, but she didn't. She removed her brush from her mouth and gently set it on her chest of drawers top. She kept her back turned to him, her arms crossed. Joey stood up and flikered her light switch. She still didn't turn around. Instead, she picked up her hand bag and made her way past him, looking at the floor the entire time.

"Seto, open up!" She cried pounding on the Kaiba residents door.

What on earth was he up to? He hadn't been dating Joey long enough to marry him!

When Seto opened the door, he smiled awkwardly. Why on earth was Joey's friend at his house? However, Tea was not smiling back. She looked very, very angry.

"How could you?" She demanded, "how could you ask Joey to marry you? He's only eighteen!"

Seto shrugged.

"That's not too young."

"Yes it is," she said, "and you already told us that you're going back to America this fall, remember? How can you-"

She stopped in mid-sentence.

"Yes," Seto finished for her, "he's going to come with me."

Tea shook her head and screamed, "No he is not! This may be news to you, but Joey's life does not revolve around you!"

The neighbors across the street were looking from their garage. Seto motioned for Tea to come inside. When she didn't, he took her by the wrist and pulled her in. He closed the door behind them.

Tea began to open her mouth, but Seto quickly retrieved a pamplet off of the coffee table and handed it to her. She stared at it and read aloud, "Cochlear implant?"

"They only do it in America," Seto explained excitedly, "but Joey could regain his hearing! He could speak again!"

Tea hurled the booklet at his feet.

"So you want to marry him so he can talk to you again! Is that all Joey's worth! A voice in bed or something! So you can hear your own selfish name!"

Seto took a step toward her menacingly. She was now backed against the wall, but she did not tremble out of fear. She trembled out of sheer fury. Furious that Seto would even think about doing this.

"I'm selfish?" He repeated, "I'm trying to give Joey back what he lost and you're calling me selfish?"

Tea frowned deeply at him and said, "I think it's selfish because you're doing it for you. You're not doing it for Joey at all!"

"I would do anything for Joey-"

"Then accept that he's deaf," Tea screamed pushing him away from her, "accept the fact that Joey can't hear! Accept that he'll never be the Joey you know all those years ago!"

She was crying now and Seto wasn't quite sure why. Did she love Joey too?

"He hasn't changed, "he said cooly, "you just want him to be different. It's you, Tea, you want him to stay deaf so you can be this wonderful intepreter who is lavished with this bright aura of power."

He pulled her closer once more and nearly whispered, "I think it's you who's being selfish."

His voice was so cold, Tea felt goosebumps rise on her skin. She pulled away again and stomped to the front door.

Before she slammed it behind her, she spat, "I won't let you hurt Joey, he's not just some light for me! He's my best friend!"

When she left, Seto collapsed onto his sofa. Of course Joey would want to talk again! Tea just didn't know what she talking about! She and her gang of charity-infactuated hoodlums had brainwashed him into thinking being handicapped was A-okay and he'd never be anything more than their little deaf friend whom they could pal around in public with! Was that friendship? Was it?

He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. Howver, as the blackness expanded in front of his eyes, he felt his hands began to move into shapes. Shapes that had meaning.

**Worried, want, Joey, Joey, Joey...**

He was barely aware of the words he was forming with his hands. The hands that had raised Mokuba with. The hands that had built a better Kaiba Corp. The hands that had both insulted and flattered Joey.

**Kaiba's a liar, Joey,** Tea exploded barging into Joey's bedroom, **he doesn't want to marry you for you at all! He wants you to hear again!**

Joey shook his head and replied, **We've been through that. I told him I wasn't going to get the**- he finger-spelled,**c-o-c-h-l-e-a-r i-m-p-l-a-n-t.**

Tea stopped and looked as if she couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. Had he really lied to Joey? She had just told him that because in her current state of rage, Tea wanted to toast Seto's nasty little personality in a pizza oven. Put a knife through him. She let her hands fall to her side and sat on Joey's bed.

Joey approached her and knelt down so she could see his hands.

**What's wrong? **He brought his, "y" to his chin and tapped it a few times.

**Seto's planning to take you to America,** Tea signed more into her lap than Joey's direction,** he told me-**

Joey shook his head and took her hands. Her eyes blazed into his as he let go and began to sign to her, **Seto would never do that! You're...you're just mad because I'm getting married! You-**

Tea glared at him, and it wasn't her normal glare. In her eyes, Joey had never seen so much hurt. She squeezed them shut so she didn't have to see her best friend have his heart ripped to shreds. The blonde tapped her hand repeatidly, longing to apologize, but Tea stood up and fled.

**Damn...**he signed meekly before sliding to the floor.

**To the readers:**

**Chibismiles**: Weddings are fun, but will there be one, that is the question

**Bakuraluver4ever:** Yah, I'm really, really trying with the description, but writing sign kind of spoils me for dialogue.

**jonouchi-kaiba-mokie**: Yah, I finally got off my lazy butt and began to continue!

MLadyAngel: Thank you! I'm going ASAP!

**Euphoria**: You thought of my fic? Wow! Now I really feel loved (lol)! Seriously, thank you so much! It's you guys who actually keep me going b/c I was reading the reviews and thought, "It's really time to start the sequel"

**Celdria**: Now do you have an idea of what I meant? Thanks for asking!


	4. But you're not Watching

Chapter 4: But You're Not Watching

author's note: Oi! Trying to get back on track, so just continue to poke me w/ sticks and I'll try my best to stay focus-oh, look! a bird!

Joey jumped in his car and drove to the park. Even though he couldn't hear, he needed to be somewhere quiet. Somewhere peaceful. He had to think, and he had to think hard. Was Tea telling the truth? Was Seto really planning to sneak him off to the United States just so he could pressure him into getting that stupid implant? It couldn't be true! It just couldn't! Then again, Joey had never known Tea to lie. Even if she was in a desperate situation in which her life was on the line, she would be truthful, and for once, Joey wished she was notorious for lying her head off instead. He sat under a tree, the tree he and Seto had eaten lunch under, and closed his eyes. The wind felt good against his heated flesh, and he inhaled just a little. He could smell nature around him, and nature had nothing to do with coclear implants. His eyes opened when he felt fingers brush against his hand. He opened his eyes and saw Tristan. He smiled weakly and they shook hands the way guys do; a masculine form of hugging.

**Tea's upset, isn't she?** Joey asked, manuevering himself to face Tristan.

Tristan gave him a sour look, but he smiled through it and signed,** she came over to my work balling like a baby. What happened anyway? I couldn't understand a word she was saying.**

The blonde boy looked away for a minute. When he looked back, he raised his hands, but then put them down. Tristan stared at him funny.

"Tristan," it was Joey's rarest form of communication-voice, "do you think Tea would ever lie?"

"No," Tristan, though he still had to sign for Joey to understand, spoke as well, "Remember in the sixth grade when Principal Watanabe found out the three of us had put that smoke bomb in the girl's restroom? Tea refused to say she knew nothing about it. Her first detention ever."

Joey smiled slightly, picturing Tea's stern yet proud face as she sat in detention, spouting off nonsense about friendship and honesty. He was silent for a moment, both in voice and sign. He didn't want to have to pick between his best friend and his boyfriend, but he wasn't sure if he had a choice. Tristan sighed and signed, knowing Joey would catch his hands in the corner of his eye, **Does this have anything to do with Seto by any chance?**

**Doesn't every problem?** Joey replied hotly, **Tristan, if you could give me back my hearing, would you do it? Just say a, um, g-e-n-i-e told you he'd give you one chance to give me hearing or something, whether I wanted it or not. Would you take that offer?**

Tristan, surprisingly enough, nodded. His friend's mouth dropped.

**Why!**

**Joey, think about it. Say I lost my ability to walk, and I was perfectly happy in a wheelchair. I'd grown used to it. No worries, no problems, I just grew accustomed to it. But Joey, if I got my ability to walk back, don't you think I'd enjoy it? Just a little bit, anyway?**

Joey stood up and grunted as he retorted, **It's just not the same!**

**I know it isn't,** Tristan stood up too,** I'll never understand your point of view, Buddy, you're the one that can't hear not me. All I can do is sign, so I'll never understand, but Joey, Seto doesn't either. Nor does Tea. Don't let them talk you into thinking they do, because they don't. Tea could learn every sign there is, she could ace deaf culture, but she's not you, Joey. You're right, it isn't the same.**

Joey's tensed muscles loosened slightly. Tristan was making a heck of a lot of sense. In fact, he was on the mark. Of course Tea and Seto didn't know! How could they? They could hear! They'd never had their world silenced, so of course they couldn't understand...but, if neither of them knew, what could Joey do to keep them from turning him against one or the other? He smiled at Tristan and Tristan smiled back.

**Would you want me to have my hearing back? **Joey signed meekly, biting the corner of his bottom lip.

Tristan gave him a hearty slap on the back and replied,** I would love it, but I love you just the way you are, Joey. It's up to you what you decide.**

Joey nodded and sat back down to think. As it turned out, Tristan was on his lunch break and had to get back to work. He gave Joey one last smile and headed back to his car. The blonde leaned his head against the tree and closed his eyes again. A slight breeze brushed past him and he relaxed.

It was night when he knew what he'd decided. He stood up, dusted the grass and dirt from the seat of his jeans, and went back to his car. As he climbed in, he turned on the radio to it's maximum volume. Slowly, he pressed his fingers to it and felt the vibrations. He could remember noise, but just barely. He remembered voices, but just barely. He remembered sound, but just barely. People were turning on their lights, complaining about the loud music from the vehicle, but all Joey noticed was a slight jolt against his finger tips.

He knew what he wanted, who it would hurt, and who it would please. However, Joey wasn't out to please anyone, nor to hurt anyone. This time, Joey Wheeler was out for Joey Wheeler. Tristan was right, this was a major decision and it was up to him and only him.

To Be Continued...

To the readers (yah, sorry it's been so long)

**Where'sMyBagel: ** No, no, keep your cat! Here's your chapter-though kind of short, but, here it is!

**CircleKV12:** I think everything will work out to everyone's favor, but, who's to say?

**Muchacha:** Yah, Joey's not too happy, but things will get better! Look at him now, afterall

**Mantha-Kaiba:** Yah, my sequel's actually gone rather slow, but I'm really trying now. I'm acutally updating a lot of stuff

**Celdria:** No problem! (lol) look how late I updated

**Vapid b.:** Exactly, Tea and Seto both have really strong views. Can you guess who Joey's decided is right yet?

**Marikslildevil:** Hey now, he may not be upset at the end? wink

**Shadow Fluffball:** I'm trying! I really am! But thanks for motivating me!

**Repmet:** So sorry, but my computer just formats this way sometimes!This one isn't, is it?

**Jonouchi-Kaiba-Mokie:** Sorry I kept you waiting so long! Yah, Tea's furious!

**Morghann:** Yah, I know Tea's kind of being snotty, and yah, I do suck at description, but I'm honestly trying to work on that, believe me! And thanks!

**ChibiSmiles:** How about you be the priest, Chibi-chan?

**Bakuraluver4ever:** Whoa now! Don't kill Tea just yet, and yah, Joey kind of realized (with the great Tristan's help, of course) that sometimes he has to decide things for himself.

I will update ASAP! Just keep pestering me if I stop

BTW, sorry this chappie was kind of short, the next one will be longer, I promise!


	5. So I'm Making You Listen

**Chapter 5: So I'm Making You Listen**

Joey found himself parked in front of Seto's house. He didn't know what Seto would do when he told him his decision, nor Tea. However, Tristan was right. This was Joey's life, not theirs. He sighed loudly as he stepped out of his worn-out truck and saunted to the front door. It felt funny knocking on his own boyfriend's door, but he wasn't in the "boyfriend" mood at the moment, so he knocked, and rang the bell just for good measures. Secretly, he just like pressing buttons.

"Joey?" Seto opened the door, as if he'd been waiting on his lover, and stepped aside for him to enter.

**I need to talk to you,** Joey stepped in,** about the implant...**

Seto closed the door and led him into the living room. They sat on the sofa, and even though the noise could never bother Joey, Seto found the clicker and turned off the television. They sat in utter silence, both in hand in voice, before Seto could take no more. He took Joey's chin in his hand and turned it towards his own face. Joey's eyes moved down like a puppy who'd just torn up an important homework assignment.

**Did you decide, well, did you decide you want to try it?** Seto tried to hide the hope in his eyes the best he could, but it was extremely difficult.

Joey leaned on his boyfriend and said in his slightly off-cord tone, "It may not work."

Seto wanted to sign to him, to tell him that anything was possible, but he didn't want to move either. If they could stay like this forever, on the sofa, just the two of them, he'd do it in a heartbeat. He thought Joey might be expecting him to reply, but instead, the blonde continued.

"I talked with Tristan," it broke Seto's heart to hear him pronounce his own best friend's name in a funny way, "and he said I need to decide what's best for me."

Seto finally removed Joey's head from his shoulder so he could communicate with him.

**What do you think is best, Joey?** He brushed his lips against the smaller boy's and signed, **what do you think you need to do?**

Joey brought their lips together again, more firmly than Seto had, and he clumsily parted to say, "I don't want it."

Seto could feel his heart drop into his stomach and dissolve into mass disappointment. For so long, he was so sure Joey would jump at the chance to hear again. To hear his friends, to hear music, to hear his lover, to hear his own voice. He had dreamed about Joey's eyes lighting up hearing the doctor say the procedure was a success. He had dreamed it so vividly, he had almost been in tears. Now, he felt tears brimming for a different reason. A not so happy reason...

"Why?" He didn't have the willpower to move his hands.

Joey shook his head briefly, looking away, then he stood up and and signed, **Because I know what it means to be deaf, and it's not me. Deaf is when you can't hear, and I can't hear noise, but I can hear, Seto, I can hear everything.**

It infuriated Seto. He knew that purple-haired twit, Tea, was behind this. She'd probably gave him some gronola-head, happy-sappy speech about acceptance just like she'd done him. She had tricked Joey into thinking he was normal just so she could go on being Miss Universe, always helping the needy. Needy like Joey. Who didn't even know he was needy. He frowned and shot up to face his boyfriend, gripping him by the shoulders.

"You don't even have a fucking clue!" He yelled, ignoring the tone wouldn't affect Joey one bit, "You don't even know what you're talking about! If it's about Tea, she doesn't give a damn about you! She cares about Tea! She-"

Joey shoved him off.

"She does too!" He said, quite articulately, actually, "you both do, but you don't seem to understand that I care about me too!"

"You can't hear!" Seto yelled, "you can't even talk!"

"I'm talking now!" Joey felt tears beginning to fall, "I am fucking talking now, Seto!"

"Then why won't you accept the chance to hear?" Seto felt his tears brimming even stronger.

**I do want to hear,** Joey signed now, **God knows I want to hear, Seto! But if this operation fails, what was anything worth? Tea's help? My friends learning SL? Me accepting deafness! What would any of it be worth?**

**It would be worth a try, just like the operation...**

They stared at eachother for a long time, then flung themselves into eachother's arms. In a matter of minutes, their clothes were tossled and their hair was matted and wild, their lips enterwined, their hands searching for anything but words. After a long, tongue-twisting ten minutes, Seto kissed Joey's forehead and said, "Let's go to bed, and not speak another word about it tonight."

Joey nodded...

**C'mon, Joey, **Tea signed as she spoke, irritated by Joey's tardiness, **I don't want to be late!**

"Hold your horses," Joey said, tugging his shirt over his head, pulling at the wire that connected to his hearing-aide device, "I'm going as fast as I can."

"The others are going to be upset," the purple-haired girl wagged a finger at him, "especially Seto, he said if you're late to a movie one more time then he'll never take you again."

"What does he care?" Joey snapped bitterly, "we're not dating anymore."

**Joey,** Tea helped him with his tangled wire with one hand and signed with the other, **you guys can still be friends**

"I don't want to-"

**Yes, you do,** she tapped her watch, **now let's go, the previews are probably already over**

"Tea," he grabbed her wrist, **do you really think-**

She sighed and replied, "don't start. Let's save that for another time, okay?"

The previews were already over, but Yugi and the others had already saved the two seats. Joey awkwardly sat next to Seto, and they gave eachother small smiles of acknowledgement. Joey had accepted the cochlear implant, but Seto had coldly admitted he didn't want to continue dating. He told Joey, who was shocked to hear those words first, that he only wished to give him the ability to hear again, and his work was done. The blonde was hurt, but he pretened it only frustrated him. In reality, it did much worse.

The movie was supposed to be funny, but the jokes were old and the whole thing was tedious. Nobody was really paying attention, except Tristan who had a fetish for stupid films. Joey yawned, and nearly jumped when he felt flesh touch his hand. He looked down to see it was Seto's hand.

**S-O-R-R-Y,** The older boy finger-spelled into his palm.

**W-H-Y?** Joey's fingers loosened as he spelled back.

Seto looked at him and signed, **I didn't mean it. I thought you were happier now, now that you could hear. I didn't want to be your crutch.**

**You were never a crutch,** Joey signed and whispered at the same time, **you or Tea**

**Can we,** Seto looked flustered, "Be friends again?"

Joey sighed through his nose and leaned on his shoulder. He took Seto's hand in both of his and played with his calloused fingers.

"Do we have to be friends? Can't we be in love again?" He whispered in a whimper.

There was a long pause from the other boy before a quiet, "I'd like that."

**Ditto,** Joey signed, holding up Seto's palm so he could feel it.

The End...

A big thanks to everyone who kept up with this story! And I'm so sorry for not updating in so long! AP tests, laziness, and a job can do that to you...anywho, big, big, big thanks to all of you! I hope you enjoyed the final chapter, and I **love you all!**

and to:

**Lilith Snape**: So sorry for not continuing sooner!

**Shadowy Fluffball**: You're motivating, all right. I love you!

**Mantha-Kaiba**: So sorry! Especially to you! Is this better?

**FireieGurl**: Do you think Jou made the right choice? Thanks for reviewing!

**CircleKV12**: Final chapter! Thanks for keeping me on my toes, even after a while...

**KakashiLvr**: Yah, I haven't been good with action lately. Is this good for action?

**daughteroffanubis**: Any good? Sorry for not updating sooner!

**ChibiSmiles**: So sorry! Especially to you! Is this ending any good? So sorry! You reviewed a lot


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